<P>Back-to-School Night: Guidelines for Teachers
<P>The annual opportunity to meet with parents goes more smoothly when teachers have the confidence that comes from being well prepared.
<P>By Kelly V. Cockrum


<P><H1>Back-to-School Night: Guidelines for Teachers</H1>
<P>By Kelly V. Cockrum
<P>At some point during the fall, you will orchestrate the annual ritual of back-to-school night or meet-the-teacher night. Regardless of the name, it is an opportunity for parents, guardians, and other significant adults to see the building and meet those individuals who are responsible for guiding their children--your teachers. 
<P>It can be an exciting evening for all involved. For both administrators and teachers, it has the potential to elicit emotions ranging from fear and trepidation to enthusiasm and anticipation. An impression will inevitably be made; the goal is to make it positive and to establish working relationships with the adults who attend. Because the teachers spend  the most time with the visitors--and therefore have the most influence--a successful evening will hinge on their ability to demonstrate their professionalism.
<P>I bring a multi-dimensional perspective to this issue as the father of four children in grades 4-10,  a secondary school teacher, a veteran of 10 back-to-school nights, and an assistant professor in a teacher education program. My background has afforded me the opportunity to sit and listen from the chairs, stand and present from the front, and observe and critique from the side. Interestingly, one of the most disappointing presentations I witnessed was from a veteran teacher with more than 25 years of experience. Surprisingly, one of the best was from a teacher on her second day on the job. From my observations, I have compiled some advice that you can share with your teachers as they prepare for back-to-school night or any meeting with students' parents or caregivers. 
<P><B>Professionalism</B>
<P>Before discussing specifics of the presentation you will give to parents and guardians, it is important to establish that you are a professional. Your presentation should reflect that you are an educated and committed individual who understands the importance of your job. Impress upon your audience that the learning and development of their children is your main objective and a responsibility that you take seriously. You can accomplish this by having a well-planned presentation that is delivered with authority and confidence. Your poise and self-assurance will go a long way toward gaining the respect of the audience and making them allies in the educational experience of the students.
<P><B>Preparation</B>
<P>First and foremost, always check with your immediate supervisor or a school administrator about the topics you plan to cover. This is especially true if you are new to the school district or the profession. I have found that most administrators leave the content for the evening to the teachers, but occasionally they have certain guidelines or requirements that they want or need to have addressed. 
<P>An experienced teacher knows the importance and value of a carefully designed lesson plan. Although the individuals filling the seats are not your regular students, I urge you to take the same approach to this evening's presentation as you would a lesson plan--invest significant time and effort. Identify your objectives for the night and prioritize the content so that it provides the relevant information to the attendees. 
<P>An important first step is to create some type of handout or syllabus that outlines the important elements of the class. This provides a visual reinforcement to your discussion of content and objectives for the class. If this is a special or unique course, remember to present it in layman's terms: many courses can cover a breadth and depth of material that is foreign to the visitors. Important elements of the handout include:
<UL><LI>Course overview. Concentrate on highlights and refrain from giving too many details or overloading the audience with minutiae.</LI>
<LI>Contact information. Provide methods for parents to contacting you and emphasize which method you prefer. Also indicate the times and days when your availability is greatest and parents will be most likely to reach you. I do not suggest listing cell or home phone numbers, but check with your school administrators.</LI>
<LI>Additional resources. Provide the audience with Web site addresses, telephone numbers, or other contact information for any other resources pertaining to the class. This includes schoolwide or districtwide homework help lines, televised tutoring assistance, or general support areas. You want to impress upon the audience that although you are the primary person responsible for their child's learning, you and your students are supported by a network of dedicated professionals and services. </LI>	
<LI>The final element is the actual presentation to the audience. Like the handout, the content of your presentation should reflect planning and contain information that is important to the audience. </LI></UL> 
<P><B>Presentation</B>
<P><B>A brief biography.</B> I stress brevity for this section because the evening is not about you or what brought you to this point; however, sharing a few details of your life can be interesting, and the possibility of making some connections with the audience is always welcome. Items to consider include: 
<UL><LI>College and formal education. This can open up some interesting connections with your audience. During one back-to-school-night, the reference to my undergraduate institution revealed that the relatives of an attendee were from the same small farming community as my grandparents. </LI>
<LI>Family. A short overview of those special people in your life is acceptable and may provide the opportunity for important links to be created. However, use caution when describing living arrangements that may be viewed as unique or different to members of the audience. </LI>
<LI>Previous experience. If you have a diverse background, highlight elements that directly relate to your current position. Previous careers are a valuable source of skills and knowledge and the audience will appreciate the relation to the position or the curriculum. </LI></UL>
<P><B>Content overview.</B> Give a brief overview of the course content and refer to the prepared handout. A concise overview will satisfy most parents and enable you to cover other important elements. Don't move too fast: the synopsis provides an excellent opportunity to mention how and where support from home can contribute to their child's success in the classroom. The value of a collaborative effort should always be emphasized.   
<P><B>A day in the life of your students.</B> During my days as a teacher, I tried to describe to parents  what their students experienced from the moment they walked through my door to the time they left. This is an opportunity to highlight some critical procedural elements or policies associated with your classroom. Topics such as homework and grading are fine to mention, but remember to keep it positive and succinct and save the nitty-gritty details for another time. 
<P><B>Unique grade- and subject-specific topics.</B> This is the time to present components of your grade and subject that are new or unique to the audience. Requirements and expectations vary greatly in secondary schools, so use this opportunity to highlight new grading procedures, unique parts of the curriculum, or the need for special equipment or supplies. Remember to mention mandated standardized tests or college-prep opportunities if they are related to your course.
<P><B>Student work.</B> Regardless of age, parents and guardians enjoy seeing the fruits of their children's labor, so having their work available is a wise decision. Just make sure something from every student is present. If the sheer numbers or content make it difficult to present current efforts, consider using representative examples from a previous year to demonstrate the curriculum. I witnessed an art teacher use PowerPoint slides to discuss and illustrate the projects for the course. The combination of slides and an accompanying explanation were a powerful way to convey the content and objectives of the class.
<P><B>Practice.</B> Finally, remember to practice the presentation to ensure that it fits into the allotted time frame and confirm the inclusion of the relevant elements. Practice is important because your delivery and timing will be affected by  the audience. A high comfort level with the material will help you manage the flow despite interruptions or questions. Effective time management will reinforce your professionalism and enable attendees to transition to other classes or presentations.
<P><B>Final Notes</B>
<P><B>Technology use.</B> Many teachers use presentation software, and the effective incorporation of technology can be impressive. Some basic guidelines include:
<UL><LI>Use the slides for key points and visual aids--don't overload individual slides with text and read every word to the audience </LI>
<LI>Present the information yourself, aided by your slides--don't reduce yourself to silently clicking through a presentation at the audience's reading speed</LI>
<LI>Stand to the side of the projection screen and use a remote control to advance the slides--don't stand next to  the computer, especially if it is in the back of the room.</LI></UL>
<P><B>Not the time or place.</B> You have heard the expression about sharing politics and religion, and well, the concept holds true for this evening. This is not the time to share personal feelings toward school administrators, district policies, standardized testing, class size or makeup, certain students, or other issues. Some of these may be important to you, but for this evening, stick with topics that are directly related to the students.  
<P>Never present sensitive issues, such as grades or behavior, on a student-specific level. General policies about grading or classroom management are fine, but details about individuals should be discussed in private conferences. If parents or guardians are pushing for specific information about their student, ask them to contact you for an individual appointment.
<P><B>Conclusion</B>  
<P>A carefully prepared presentation will be informative and demonstrate to the audience that you are a professional and their children are in good hands. This should allow you to relax, enjoy the evening, and establish the working relationships that will help your students succeed.  
<BR><BR><BR>
<P><B>Kelly V. Cockrum</B> <I>(<a href="mailto: kelly.cockrum@alvernia.edu ">kelly.cockrum@alvernia.edu</a>), a former high school and middle level teacher, is an assistant professor in education  at Alvernia University in Reading, PA.</I> 
